Torii Kiyomitsu II

Torii Kiyomitsu II was a Japanese printmaker active throughout the late Edo period, spanning the years 1799 to 1856. The work attributed to the artist confirms a focus on subjects central to the popular arts and theatrical traditions of the era, notably actor portraits (yakusha-e) and studies of female beauty (bijin-ga).

Seven of Torii Kiyomitsu II's prints are represented in major museum collections, establishing the scope of their contribution to the art form. The artist’s output included specific documentation of the kabuki stage, such as The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro I as Yamagami Gennai Saemon and Yamanaka Heikuro I as Suzuka no Oji. They also produced programs and announcements related to significant events in the theatrical calendar, exemplified by the Announcement of the ten day performance celebrating the succession of Ichimura Uzaemon XIII and the accompanying Program of the ten day performance celebrating the succession of Ichimura Uzaemon XIII.

Other works focus on established series formats, including Beauty applying rouge, derived from the series Comaprison of Beauties in Eastern Brocade (Azuma nishiki bijin awase), and Chrysanthemum Festival, from the series Elegant Five-needled Pine (Furyu goyo matsu). Today, these historical records are preserved institutionally, with holdings of Torii Kiyomitsu II prints located in the Art Institute of Chicago. The availability of such works, often now in the public domain, provides opportunities for collectors and researchers to access high-quality prints documenting this period of Japanese theater history.